Kaaren Whitney-Vernon talks Upstairs Amy, Branded Content

Kaaren Whitney-Vernon talks Upstairs Amy, Branded Content

In an interview with Matt Helbig published at The Mission, Shaftesbury SVP, Branded Entertainment Kaaren Whitney-Vernon explained Shaftesbury’s approach to creating entertainment content for brands.

“The client comes first,” she said. “We do a deep dive looking at research from our client as well as research around the target market we are creating content for.”

Kaaren went on to explain how this approach informed the concepts that became Upstairs Amy, the digital series produced by Shaftesbury in association with Interac® and Walmart. “The brand wanted to reach millennial moms,” she said, “and we learned that nowadays more of them are moving into more affordable condos rather than a seeking a suburban lifestyle.”

That became the basis of the series as it follows the title character moving in to a new condo and attempting to adjust to the fabulous lifestyle of her new neighbour.

The in-depth interview touches on Shaftesbury’s approach to casting and partnerships, as well as how Shaftesbury measure the success of its Branded Entertainment projects.